The crew did have some access to information, so returning has not been a complete shock, Ehrlich, a systems engineer and crew member, told BuzzFeed News.

"So you've basically been in a place for three-quarters of a year, and you come outside and that finally feels real to you," he explained. "Like, oh man, it's the middle of September, you got the holidays coming up. You got bills and plans to figure out. It's a big reality check."

In order to learn what was happening back home, the crew was allowed to request news about certain topics; mission support would then send a screenshot of a related article, but never links.

Just like in space, there was a 20-minute delay before communications were transmitted. The crew also couldn't access Google, so most of their new information came from following Wikipedia's current events or looking at mission-related websites, Ehrlich said.

Ehrlich described himself as someone who likes to keep up with US and international news, and said he kept up the habit while living in the dome — possibly more than he should have. He is originally from Hollywood, Florida, he added, and was constantly checking the National Hurricane Centre website for updates during Irma.

He also became obsessed with news about North Korea's missile program, he said, noting that the crew wasn't actually on Mars, but instead in the "danger zone" of a potential strike.

HI-SEAS V crew / Via Flickr

"Looking back, I wish hadn't been as on top of the news," Ehrlich said. "We want to say we're on Mars, but reality check, you're on Earth still."

"My curiosity kinda bit me in the butt because eventually I wanted to learn more and more and it got to the point where I made myself nervous about the situation," he continued.

Ehrlich described reading articles about "some type of strike" on Hawaii as psychologically uncomfortable. "It's a little shocking, but you trust what's happening around you," he said. "You just refocus on what's really at hand, what you have control over."

Other crew members were able to actually enjoy being cut off from the dumpster fire raging back on Earth, he added. "Some of the crew members were happy with being secluded and isolated ... as far as current events goes," he said.

HI-SEAS V crew / Via Flickr

Ehrlich working on a project to grow plants while inside the dome.

In order to leave the dome during the eight-month isolation period to explore mock Mars, the crew members had to wear elaborate mock spacesuits, and Ehrlich said it has also been overwhelming — in a good way — to reintegrate with nature.

HI-SEAS V crew / Via Flickr

"Right now, I'm wearing just shorts and a shirt," he said, sounding pretty happy about it. "I'm walking over the grass without shoes or socks. It's really interesting to ... get those sensations back. Like smells. Hearing birds chirping."

Ehrlich, who is now based in Denver, says he is an avid hiker and found that as the months passed inside the dome, he looked forward to returning to his usual surroundings.

"It's something you miss and take for granted and just forget about," he said. "The sun is beating down on you. You get a rush of air. That's all been thrown at us at once — but it's been pretty fun to get back to that life."

But, he added, "there's a reintegration process that has to be considered." He noted that manned missions to Mars would likely last much, much longer than eight months, and returning astronauts would have other factors to consider, like radiation and gravity.

Since leaving the dome, Ehrlich said, he has enjoyed grilling burgers and eating fresh fruit. Another highlight, he said, was getting to take a bath again.

University of Hawai‘i News / Via Flickr

"You want to just do everything," Ehrlich said about finally getting to leave the dome. "It's as if you won a million dollars."

"It's really fun to be outside," he said. "In fact, I don't want to be inside."

Making moms everywhere proud, Ehrlich admitted that he called his mother and grandma as soon as he got out of the dome. "I wanted to hear their voices," he said, adding that he also called his girlfriend "and it was awesome to hear her."